This invention is related to mailing forms, and more particularly, to mailing forms which can be folded to form a combination correspondence portion, initial mailing envelope portion, and return or remittance envelope portion, wherein variable information, e.g., address information, for each of these portions can be printed by a single pass through a non-impact printer.
Non-impact printers, such as laser or ink jet printers, are being increasingly used to provide a fast, economical, and convenient method of printing data developed within computer systems and stored in databases. An important example of this kind of data is found in the accounts receivable data of both large and small organizations. In most organizations, preparing and distributing monthly statements represents a significant effort, as account data is printed and distributed in envelopes.
Many invoices, monthly statements, renewal notices, questionnaires and the like arrive in a single envelope together with a number of other printed documents. At a typical minimum level, a return envelope and a response document are included with the mailing. While responses may all be returned to a central location, it is often desirable to provide a number of different locations, or box numbers, to which responses for various different mailings are sent. In this way, an initial sorting step can be avoided.
Multi-part forms, including envelopes in which statements are sent, together with the statements themselves, have been manufactured for use in impact printers. Such forms are typically assembled into webs with sprocket holes extending along one or both lateral edges to facilitate handling through a pin feed impact printer. Transferable coatings are selectively placed on one or more of the sheets making up the assembly, so that externally applied printing forces are transferred to produce characters on intermediate document surfaces. This approach has further been modified to provide a remittance envelope, in which various materials, such as a check and a portion of the statement, may be returned to the organization sending the statement.
However, with the increasing popularity of non-impact printers, especially with small organizations, the percentage of organizations having the impact printers necessary to use such multi-part forms is decreasing. Furthermore, such forms often must be processed through automatic folding/sealing machines to be used in a practical manner. Such automatic folding machines are other examples of equipment not available to many small organizations. In addition, pouch or envelope products using a high speed plow-folder for production fold over a xe2x80x9cshoe,xe2x80x9d which, when contacted by glue, can cause web breaks and contamination of production equipment or other parts of the form. Therefore, what is needed is a mailing form configured for use with non-impact printers and which can be easily prepared with or without the use of a folding machine.
Mailing forms heretofore developed for use in non-impact printers typically require that some information be printed on each side of the form if a return envelope is to be constructed from the form. Because of practical considerations, dual side printing generally means that fixed data, which is the same for all of the forms being printed, must be printed on one side while variable data, which is generally specific for each form being printed, is printed on the other side. For example, the front of the return envelope is printed with fixed data on one side of the form. In this way, the customer returning the return envelope is required to fill out his address. This compromise may present an inconvenience for the organization originally sending the mailing forms and for the customer as well. If the address of the organization must be printed as part of the fixed information on the return envelope, a special box number related to the particular form cannot be used.
Yet another disadvantage of previously produced products is their incompatability with non-impact, e.g., laser, printers. Products produced to be printed on non-impact printers are less tolerant of multi-ply substrates which are pre-laminated together and thereby become more rigid. This can create jamming of the printer or feeder mechanism when the rigid laminates are forced around small diameter rollers in the paper path of the printer.
A further problem with sheet fed laser mailers is that to create a two-way mailer usually requires an overly long product and also a duplex printer to print the return address on the remittance envelope.
What is also needed is a compact, two-way mailer which can be processed on a folder/sealer machine which is common in the forms industry. The two-way mailer must be printable on a simplex printer and allow for addressing both the outgoing and return envelopes in a single pass through the printer. It must also have the flexibility to easily wrap around the rollers in the printer paper path during the printing process. Further, it must be capable of efficient manufacture as a web product.
A number of different types of forms include flaps or pockets provided in a closed configuration which must be opened at a later time. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,071, issued to Moore Business Forms, Inc. However, this patent describes a form having the disadvantage of not providing a return envelope, nor providing for Information Based Indicia (IBI) or showing of a Face Indicating mark (FIM) per the requirements of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Various means are employed to make a portion of the form tear open in a preferred manner. For example, a perforated or die-cut sheet may be used in this way. Alternatively or additionally, a number of parallel glass fibers (fiberglass) may be provided to give a particular strip of material the strength needed for easy removal without breaking apart. A problem with this approach is that the glass fibers lie only in a straight line, so that the material to be removed must be a straight strip. What is needed is a reinforcing coating which can be applied to material which is not straight, allowing its removal without breaking up.
Thus, what is needed is a mailing form that can be used to produce an initial mailer envelope, a return envelope, and a correspondence portion, e.g., a billing statement, by printing on one side only of the form. A mailing form providing these advantages that are absent from the currently available forms, including the provision of a return envelope, and areas for IBI and FIM indicia, is needed in the art and is provided by the subject invention as described herein.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mailing form including a lower sheet of material having first and second ends, with a first transverse folding line between the first and second ends, and an upper sheet of material overlying and aligned with the lower sheet of material. The upper sheet of material includes a first upper sheet portion, an outer flap, and an inner flap, the outer flap and the inner flap being separated by a first cut line, and the outer flap extending to the second end of the lower sheet. A first adhesive system forms a bond between the first end and an adjacent surface of the first upper sheet portion and a second adhesive system forming a temporary bond between the second end and the outer flap. The second adhesive system includes an adhesive permanently bonded to the lower sheet, the second adhesive system being of a type which forms a permanent bond with another sheet of material after separation from the outer flap.
In another aspect of the subject invention, the inner flap comprises a postal indicia portion which can be folded to meet the top edge of the outgoing envelope in order to automatically position and Indicia Based Identification (IBI) code in proper position as required by the US Postal Service (USPS). In addition, a Face Identification Mark (FIM) is properly positioned , without skewing, no more than one-eighth inch from that top edge, and preferably flush with that edge. This FIM positioning is also required by the USPS.
In yet another embodiment of the subject invention, the form comprises a plurality of plies, typically two plies, which can be configured to form a correspondence portion, e.g., a letter or billing statement, which is folded to form an initial, or mailer, envelope portion, and further comprises an integral return envelope used, for example, by the receiver of the correspondence to return materials, information, correspondence, or payment. Advantageously, all variable information for each of these portions are printable by a single pass through a simplex, non-impact printer device. Additional pages of the correspondence portion can be pre-printed and included within this embodiment to provide additional space for further correspondence information.